Foreign Minister Soini to Romania and Moldova

Ministry for Foreign Affairs12.6.2018 13.54| Published in English on 12.6.2018 at 16.10Press release

Minister for Foreign Affairs Timo Soini will visit Romania on 13 June. He will have meetings with Romanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Teodor Melescanu, President Klaus Iohannis, and Prime Minister Viorica Dăncilă.

The topics of the meetings will be security policy, the bilateral relations between Finland and Romania, the cooperation between Romania, Finland and Croatia, which form the future Presidency Trio of the European Council, as well as topical regional and international questions.

Finland's EU Presidency will start on 1 July 2019 after Romania. The main part of the content of Finland’s Presidency of the European Union will consist of the Trio programme, which Finland is currently elaborating in cooperation with Romania and Croatia. The cooperation with Romania in connection with matters concerning the EU Presidency may offer also other opportunities for collaboration. Economic cooperation and investments, in particular, could be further developed in many sectors. Romania has also shown interest in becoming a member of the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats (Hybrid CoE), established in Finland.

Additionally, the Foreign Ministers will speak at a seminar organised by the Aspen Institute, Romania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of Finland in Romania. The speakers will share experiences of efforts to develop the security environment of the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea.

Minister Soini will continue from Romania to Moldova. On 14 June, he will have a meeting with Modovan Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Tudor Ulianovschi, Prime Minister Pavel Filip and Speaker of Parliament Andrian Candu as well as leaders representing the EU Delegation to the Republic of Moldova and international organisations established in the country. The topics of discussion will include the relations between Finland and Moldova, the cooperation between the EU and Modova, and topical regional and international questions.

Finland supports Moldova’s efforts to build closer ties with the EU. It is important that Moldova continue the implementation of the EU-Moldova Association Agreement and the agreed reforms that will benefit the citizens of the country. Finland has supported Moldova by means of, for instance, participating in EU-funded cooperation projects and contributing to visits of experts. Finland has also deployed border and customs experts to the EU Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine (EUBAM) since 2007. Finland also supports the Moldovan civil society.